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Best Of The Best 2006: Technological Marvel

Nearly two decades after its introduction as the original sports sedan, the BMW M5 remains one of the best. Powered by a 5-liter V-10 pumping out 500 hp and 383 ft lbs of torque, the $81,000 M5 will, according to BMW, hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and reach a governed top speed of 155 mph.

The M5 uses a new 7-speed version of BMW’s sequential manual gearbox, which has both manual and automatic modes. It is a significant improvement over the transmission’s previous iteration, but you may have to grow accustomed to occasionally abrupt shifts—once you have chosen your favorite of the transmission’s 11 settings. Still, miraculously, the M5’s technology detracts only minimally from the stellar driving experience.